“I once dreamt that I was working in a studio. The walls had a very particular colour, which could be best described as the tint of something coming from the gut.”
Plastic Matrix is the name of Ellen Ogawa’s performance, which marks the end of her residence period at Gastatelier Leo XIII in Tilburg. It will take place in her studio, against the backdrop of the artworks that she’s created during the last four months: mural paintings, sculptures, costumes, and a performance in collaboration with actress Lydia Muijen.
A main reference in Ellen’s art project is The Tibetan Book of the Dead, a work that has been traditionally attributed to having introduced Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century. The book is meant to be a guide to life after death, for those who have died as they transition from their former life to a new destination, namely, liberation and enlightenment.
“The woman was talking to herself on the other side of the wall (or was it a gate now?). She was walking around in there. I wondered who she was and where she came from. I could hear her, she was praying.”
The studio will be split by a large drawing mounted on a frame, so that the performance takes place simultaneously in each sub-division of the space inhabited by Ellen and by Lydia. The tempo of the piece is structured by Lydia’s recitation of a prayer excerpted from The Tibetan Book of The Dead that’s meant to guide the soul of the traveller.
Saturday June 27th
Durational performance: 13:00 – 17:00
Livestream performance Plastic Matrix | Ellen Ogawa 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Gastatelier Leo XIII
Leo XIII Straat 90H
5046 KK Tilburg